&0 LIFE ON T&J5 MISSISSIPPI.
two men of whom he had heen purchased, and giving his suspicions of the
men. It was rather squally times, hut any port in a storm: we took the
negro that Bight on the hank of a creek which runs hy the farm of our
feiexid, and Oenshaw shot Mm through the head. We took out his entrails
*TU\ gunk him in the creek.
' He had sold the other negro the third time on Arkansaw Eiver for up-
wards of five hundred dollars; and then stole him and delivered him into the
hand of his friend, who conducted him to a swamp, and veiled the tragic
scene, and got the last gleanings and sacred pledge of secrecy ; as a game of
that kind will not do unless it ends in a mystery to all hut the fraternity.
He sold the negro, first and last, for nearly two thousand dollars, and then
put hi™ for ever out of the reach of all pursuers, and they can never graze
him unless they can find the negro; and that they cannot do, for his carcass
has fed many a tortoise and catfish before this time, and the frogs have sung
this many a long day to the silent repose of his skeleton/
We were approaching Memphis, in front of which city, and wit-
nessed by its people, was fought the most famous of the river battles
of the Civil War. Two men whom I had served tinder, in my river
days, took part in that fight: Mr. Bixby, head pilot of the Union
fleet, and Montgomery, Commodore of the Confederate fleet. Both
saw a great deal of active service during the war, and achieved high
reputations for pluck and capacity.
As we neared Memphis, we began to cast about for an excuse t
stay with the *Gold Dust' to the end of her course—Vicksburg. W
were so pleasantly situated, that we did not wish to make a change
I had an errand of considerable importance to do at Napoleon
Arkansas, but perhaps I could manage it without quitting th<
'Gold Dust.' I said as much; so we decided to stick u> presen
quarters.
T3ie boat was to tarry at Memphis till ten the next morning. Ii
la a beautiful city, nobly situated on a commanding bluff overlooking
file river. The streets are straight and spacious, though not paved
in & way to incite distempered admiration. No, the admiration
must be reserved for tike town's sewerage system, which is called
perfect; a recent reform, however, for it was just the other way, up
to a few years ago—a reform resulting from the lesson taught by a
desolating visitation of the yellow-fever. In those awful days the
peopte were swept off by hundreds, by thousands; and so great was